she is a jewelry maker, wife to one of the sweetest guys in my hometown,

and mother to two adorable children- love them.

she is giving away one beautiful and unique metal cuff

with your loved one's handwriting etched onto it

...

turn your written memento into a piece of flair to wear daily. a reminder of how loved you are. perfect to make a keepsake for someone who is no longer by your side or an inspiration to cherish near your heart.

*i love music so much- thinking about adding a track every now and then so you can enjoy the tune- along with your coffee while viewing/reading- what do you think?*

coming soon-a baby boy shower, my sister's bachelorette party in charleston, an at home charlotte cooking class, an AWESOME gift giveaway, october book club pick, autumn love, and my sister's wedding details and ideas- less than two weeks away!!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

"say who you are. really say it in your life and your work. tell someone out there who is lost, someone not yet born, someone who won't be born for 500 years. your writing will be a record of your time. it can't help but be, but more importantly, if you're honest about who you are, you'll help that person be less lonely in their world, because that person will recognize him or herself in you, and that will give them hope. and it's done so for me, and i have to keep rediscovering it; it's profound importance in my life. give that to the world rather than selling something to the world. don't allow yourself to be tricked into thinking that the way things are is the way the world must work and that in the end, selling is what everyone must do. try not to."

these past two weeks have been so hard
brutal to say the least-
maybe tortuous would be more of the word.

which got me thinking…

what legacy do i want to leave behind?

i hope it can be a tenth of the one that imoh left behind. you have inspired me, precious moh. always in our hearts.

it's also made me realize just how precious life is. anyone who attended last weekend, left a different and better person.

i briefly mentioned the pastor and the speeches - but they will truly stick with me for the rest of my life.

thank you.

i feel like my perspective on life and priorities have changed so much in my 30's- things i used to think were important- things i would relentlessly convey my opinions--trying to put them onto others? just isn't the case anymore.

i wish i could change these discussions from my past-

but i guess that's part of the process of growing.

now- at 31- i respect that people have different opinions

and try to always be open-minded.

i try to find the good in everyone {so thankful i wasn't surrounded by mean girls {or guys!} in high school and college- i don't remember them ever sitting around talking about others- i miss you all} although it took some time, i now have these {very dear} friends in my life here in north carolina. very blessed.

i am trying to communicate more with those who love me for me-

who will always be there.

and those who aren't-

i am letting go of- life is too short and constant negativity really brings me down.

…

there are defining moments

when you find yourself in places you never thought you would be in

paths you never imagined being on

choices you never would have wanted to have to make

witnessing seeming injustices that you never would have wanted to witness

in those moments you have a choice

how are you going to react

who are you going to become

what feeling are you going to give into.

we all have choices:

how do you want to live your life?

…personally, i don't want to look back when i am 80 and every year looked the same...

how do you want others to think of you?

what qualities do you exude to others?

how approachable do you want to be?

how do you want to take care of your body?

how do you want to spend your spare time?

how devoted do you want to be to your faith?

{and the list goes on}

to decide.

at the moment, i choose happiness

it's not easy

natural thoughts go through my head

trying to re-direct me

for i decide

i decide to choose happiness

that’s who i am and

that’s who i want to stay

a place of peace

a place of trust

a place of loving others

a place of patience

a place of forgiveness

until a next fall comes

and then i will decide

i will decide again

to choose happiness

prayers my friends

i ask for your prayers

as we seek for answers for this one life-

and as we seek to make choices and decisions

that are best for our lives

so we can leave a legacy

that others will cherish

one that will inspire others

to always strive to become a better person.

… love from baltimore

~thank you, sweet rachel, for the wonderful snack idea~

rice cake, nutella and strawberries!

along with this beautiful card and thoughtful messages- it meant the world.

in addition, be sure to visit for a chance to win a free monogrammed clutch!

… here is my post: an instagrammable summer

over the past year, i have grown to absolutely love {love} instagram for so many reasons… it's become a place of daily inspiration, a place for friendships/networking, and a place to document one of my favorite things in life- photos.

i feel like life is precious- so i blog. i blog to document the simplicity, the beauty, the power of living every single day to the fullest.

most of my blog consists of photos that i either take or photos that inspire me…

therefore, i have decided to share some of my instagram photos from this summer with you all…

it was a wonderful one {i hope the same for you} - one that i am very thankful for <3

mr. monaco and i celebrated our one year wedding anniversary on june 29

we traveled to st. simon's island in georgia and absolutely fell in love with the quaint beach town

we rented bikes, went to the beach/pier, enjoyed seafood, stayed at on old inn/pub, explored boutiques and ate our one year old wedding cake…

to be honest, it was just ok {if that.}. he loved it much more than i did…

if i had to do it over again, i would have followed this advice for how to preserve your topper

i met up with a bunch of charlotte creatives for a picnic in the park - so fun.

we celebrated my sister's bachelorette party in charleston, south carolina-

if you have never been, put it on your list

it's beautiful.

her bridal shower took place in june

in our hometown in ohio

it was a great day/night of celebrating …

i absolutely LOVED planning this event for her- my best friend in life.

i was thankful for so much blog love …

the people i have met by blogging has been my favorite part- without a doubt.

kind, inspiring, genuine- full of love.

i enjoyed hanging out with my boy, pierre, this summer…

he's a nine year old himalayan with piercing blue eyes, lots of hair,

and is the ultimate cuddle muffin

i discovered hot yoga about five and a half years ago and it's changed my life-